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putations, and will then proceed to plot all the standard work, so that the office may not be deprived of the results of Mr. Edgecumbe's labours. Native LandiCourt and Native-land Purchase Surveys. —Under this heading, during the past year, a total area of 1,039,558 acres has been actually surveyed and mapped, and the greater portion also recorded upon our office records maps. The area enumerated above is divided as follows : Native Land Court surveys executed in the King-country, costs of survey of which have been advanced by Government, thirty-seven blocks, containing an area of 995,727 acres, and costing £4,651 4s. 8d; Native-land purchase surveys, cost of which has been paid by Land Purchase Department, ten blocks, containing an area of 43,554 acres, and costing £604 16s. Id., and situated in the Thames, Coromandel, and Taupo districts. The survey of the subdivisions of the Kingcountry blocks is not yet completed, and some very large subdivision areas have yet to be dealt with, such as the Kiuohaku East and West Blocks, Taorua Block, &c, which will probably be in hand duriug the coming season. The department has already in hand, and almost completed in the field, some twenty-seven blocks, containing 203,941 acres, chiefly land-purchase surveys, there being only 4,815 acres of this amount situated within the King-country Bohe Potae. In addition to the area paid for by Government, there have been received for examination and record in this office maps of some 117 blocks of Native Land Court surveys for adjudication upon by the Court, containing an area of 49,642 acres, the cost of which has been paid for, mostly at schedule rates, by the Native owners, and which does not pass through our books. This work is subjected to the same rigid check as the Government surveys, and takes up a large portion of the draughtmen's time. Gold-mining Surveys. —The number of sections of licensed holdings received and recorded during the past year has been large, consisting of no less than 201 separate plans, containing a total area of 4,225 acres, and costing £1,718 10s. 6d. These surveys as a rule are very carefully performed, and are very creditable to the surveyors engaged upon them. In accordance with your instructions no charge has been made against the Goldfields Department for this work, which has taken up the greater portion of one draughtsman's time. Boads and Railways. — Under this heading the staff have surveyed some 98 miles of road, at a cost of £1,163 ss. lOd., or under £12 per mile. Of this amount, Mr. P. Simpson has surveyed and graded some 17 miles in the Whangarei district, mostly through Native blocks, or in exercise of road rights in grants. Mr. J. I. Philips has explored, surveyed, and graded some 35 miles to open up lands for settlement in the Awaroacand Whaingaroa districts, extending through the country at the back of Lake Whangape, &c. ; and Mr Vickerman has surveyed and graded some 10 miles through forest to open up Crown lands in the Tauhoa district. The balance of mileage has been contributed by Messrs. Galbraith, Haszard, and others of the staff. In addition to the staff surveys Mr. Holt has surveyed some six miles of the Kaihu Valley railway, from Maropiu to Waimanu, at a cost, with connecting road, of some £70. There have also been received from authorised surveyors, taken in exercise of road rights through Native lands, some 17 miles of road. Other Work. —A total of £1,164 11s. Id. is set down under this heading, and comprises inspection of Native Land Court and land-purchase surveys by Mr. District Surveyor L. Cussen ; cost of city, standard, and alignment surveys—not yet completed—by the late Mr. Edgecumbe. The remainder is chargeable to reports upon roads, reports upon timber, and reports on improvements to sections and other matters referred from the Land Board to the staff surveyors, comprising duties too numerous to enumerate. Land Transfer Work. —The work under this heading has been of limited quantity. Mr. Foster has examined and submitted for approval 107 plans, comprising 503 subdivisions, and containing an area of 10,174 acres ; and Mr. Sturtevant, up to the time of his retirement from this office, had received, examined, and passed 59 applications to bring land under the Act, and also had prepared in duplicate 410 certificates with marginal plans, containing an area of 69,754 acres ; the total cost of both branches being £750. The following is the summary of work received and in hand : — Completed during the Year. In Hands of Surveyors. Triangulation ... ... ... 529,864 acres ... Nil Eural sections ... ... ... 95,597 „ ... 98,423 acres Town surveys ... ... ... 199 sections ... Nil Native Land Court and Native landi , n ., n KKO OT , „,, , ■-, , r , , ■ 1,039,508 acres ... 203,941 acres purchase paid by Government j ' Gold-mining ... ... ... 4,225 „ ... Nil Eoads, <fee. ... ... ... 104 miles ... 77 miles In addition to the 98,423 acres of settlement surveys in hands of surveyors there are some 33,000 acres still applied for in various-sized sections, but I am unable as yet to put it in the hands of the staff for survey. Work for Ensuing Season. —The coming season will be taken up by an endeavour to overtake the arrears of section survey in the hands of the staff and also remaining in my work-book. Ido not anticipate that there will be much work in the shape of triangulation other than what will be necessary for connection with triangulation of isolated surveys. Mr. Simpson has some in hand in the Whangarei district, principally an extension of the minor triangulation to fill in the gap towards Ngunguru and Tutukaka, and Mr. Galbraith will have to break down some triangles in order to connect his subdivision work now in progress in the Waiawa district. Bond fide settlement is progressing apace both north of Auckland and in the Counties of Eaglan, Tauranga, and Whakatane, and I am certain all the energies of the field staff will be called forth to keep pace with requirements. Office-work. —The work in this department has been very heavy and continuous, and the draughting staff (large as it is) can hardly keep pace with the work of recording the numerous Native Land Court and section surveys continually being received. I am glad to say that all our county